A cruise ship. 1,000+ uni kids. Stockholm. Riga. FUN.

This past weekend was indeed one for the books; and one for the blogosphere. Seeing as study abroad doesn't come around all the time I decided to take advantage of every travel opp I could get my hands on. So I bought a ticket to go on this cruise sailing from Stockholm to Riga. Complete with about 1,000 other uni kids, the boat was sure to be rocked! It was in two words: party central!!! :D Like all fieldtrips, we started with a bus ride: a 9-hour bus ride from Oslo to Stockholm. We began at 8 am only to arrive in beautiful Stockholm at 4:30 pm. Of course, since we are in the Northern Part, the sun has begun to set at around 2 so we arrived in the twinkling of night. We went to out pre-arranged hostels and chilled for a bit. Augmante, the trip planner for our group, was in our room, which was good for us as we weren't as lost :) We settled down then decided to attack Stockholm; we were to meet the rest of our Oslo group at some city square to walk over to a club to enjoy the night. As we mosied on down to the meeting spot, we had a nice little dinner and coffees at an adorable cafe. You enter thru this brick entrance, immediately walk down a flight of stairs, and voila, you're in the cafe. It was called "Art Cafe", complete with local art for sale peppering the ledges and tables. I had a lovely laks and spinach quiche, black coffee and a raspberry pastry that I swear, tasted like home-made Toaster's Strudel. After we gorged ourselves we went to the meeting point to head to the club. 

The club was called "Metro" and it was insane. You walk in and long curtains of red hang from the ceiling; the bar is a giant circular one with two bartenders circling around dispensing liquid courage; you walk past and see the dancefloor, which is surrounded by a terrace-like almost green-house frame; past this are stairs that lead up to another bar and lots of cozy, plush seating. We had a great time: alcohol is so much cheaper in Sweden than in Norway so we were indeed taking advantage of our newfound wealth. After, we took a T-bane back to our hostel to recharge for our next assault on Stockholm.

We started the next day with free buffet breakfast at our hostel. This would've been really nice had it not been for the ticket-woman coming up to me when I was going up for seconds saying, "Billet?", which means "ticket". I told her I gave it to her and she said, "Oh, fire...", which means "four" referring to the group I was with. I repeated this, gave her an eye and went back to my tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs. After frokost (breakfast) we dropped our bags off at City Hall at the bus and proceeded to walk around before we had to come back. Stockholm's City Hall is famous for hosting the gala dinner for the Nobel Prize every year, so it 

was nice to have a look around. After that we took a mosey down to Gamle Stan which is the "Old Town" part of the city. Here we saw the Cathedral and the Slottet, or Parliament. Across the water we saw a giant building and on it said National Gallery - a museum! So we headed there to see the current exhibits. Inside was great, the exhibits were huge containing many pieces that carried over large spans of time from medieval religious art to modern contemporary painting. My favorites were of course the sculptures; this museum had some of the biggest ones I've ever seen, massive pieces that filled entire room corners. The most interesting part of the museum, however, was the design section. Like many people know, Sweden is the creators of Ikea and many other note-worthy artists in the field of design, so it was a nice surprise to see two wings dedicated solely to Swedish design, separated in early modern to modern and modern and beyond. It was neat to see things like old t.v. sets, gold lameed chests, cups, plates, and chairs. The bet part though was the Absolut vodka bottles; those Swedes really do love their design!

When we were leaving I notices something out in the window; it was SNOWING!!! What a perfect day right? Museum, free breakfast, touristy photos and now snow! I was alone in my enthusiasm as everyone else was more than perturbed. We decided we didn't have much time left so we headed to a cafe to have lunch and relax. We went to this cafe that was owned by some Swede who, beneath his name said, "Jeweler". I guess coffee, jewels, and food do go together in a Swedish mind :D It was a nice bookend to our tourist stint in lovely Stockholm. 

We got back on the bus to head to the boat for our first night of craziness. We arrived and already the other party-seekers were entering in droves onto the boat. We arrived and checked in to our humble bunker-like rooms ready to be stuck on a boat with 1,000 other uni kids. Of course, one of the first things we wanted to check was the alcohol. We went to the duty free and already the store was packed, being controlled by boat security. Thinking it was better to just buy at the bar tonight we went to the main nightclub area and chilled a bit before the dancing started. But before the DJ came on, we were in for a treat: some cheesy cruise performances. The women came out in ice-skating costumes and the men in pseudo-stripper ensembles. The dances were those you see in some retirement special cruise deal to the Caribbean. It was highly campy and not in the good way; we just sat there and admired how in to it others were. After a few shots, the DJ started and the dancefloor pounded with the energy only a boat full of energy and alcohol filled 20somethings could offer. After a good 4 hours I had to call it a night; after all, we would be in Riga, Latvia the next day and I needed to be well-rested for the next night of partying away.

First off, I've never known much about the Baltic states, let alone even considered traveling to one of them. But this was a visit that I thoroughly enjoyed. We set off in the morning around 9 on a guided walking tour of the Riga, the capitol of Latvia 

with Aleks, a native Latvian who studies at the uni there for Astrology (how cool :D). We first went to an area of town by the water that was to be demolished and rebuilt later. It was known as the artist area where a bunch of warehouses doubled as workspaces and manufacturing buildings. Here, Aleks said that Riga's most popular and exclusive club was; it was interesting to see a club in a warehouse with various expensive cars parked outside. It was a stark dichotomy: the rundown structure kissing the modern, materialist culture. From there we made our way to the old town. On the way we passed Embassy Street that contained various national embassies. We also saw some hints of the vibrant art noveau architecture that Riga is known for. We passed by a monument I called the "Woman with the Three Stars"; it was built during Stalin's communist era and stands as a monument to Latvia's history of Communist rule. Aleks took us to this one building built for farmers but since they didn't have the knowledge or desire to maintain it, it was given over to scientists and folklore scholars to serve as an observatory: it is one of the only buildings left over that still has the Communist sickle symbol on it. After a failed attempt to get us to the observation deck (the key they had was the wrong one!), we made our way back to Old Town via an open air market. I should inform you that while this all happened, we were greeted by a pleasant Latvian hailstorm that smacked us gently in our wind-burned faces. After the tour, we arrived at this shopping center where we had, due to Aleks' advice, some authentic Latvian cuisine: an assortment of dumplings with sour cream, salsa, basil and juices. Det var så deilig! It was really good that, of course, we had to have seconds. After a delicious meal, we headed to the liquor store to buy some cheap (and legit) Russian vodka. We made our way back to the ship but not before going to a nice cafe where we had coffee, chocolate cake, and a lovely assortment of rich truffles. Full of sugar and insulin, we jittered our way back to the boat to nap before another night of great partying. Of course, our Latvian good bye wasn't complete without another taste of hail. 

After some quick power naps, we got ready to head to the nightclub again. This time the atmosphere was especially static-like. Everyone knew that this was our last night on the ship and thus we were not going out without a bang. The drinks flowed, the shots were tossed back and the good times came. The dancefloor pulsated with even more energy than last night; myself, Erik and Jessica decided to go upstairs to the other dancefloor where they were playing more techno-house-trance. The boat rocked back and forth, which made for an interesting aerial view of the house partyers. With every to came a fro, and we all drunkenly struggled to keep our composure and groove on the floor. We all know I love to dance and this was my ticket to enjoying my last

few hours on the Baltic Sea. After I figured I was alone as 

everyone had called it a night, I went back downstairs where the early morning DJ set was nothing but pure techno awesomeness. An interesting thing I encountered was a wonderful Spaniard who danced with me and everytime we would meet up again he would start cheering me on to gyrate and dance, rhythmically clapping to the synthesized sounds. Dancing my heart out until 5 am, I crashed in my room to sleep off the night and get ready for the bus ride back to Oslo. 

The trip back was...well, I slept the entire way! Arriving back in Oslo, I reminisced about the great times I had, the sights I saw, and thought of the next time I would visit those magical places. It was an amazing experience that I will forever cherish in my memory of Studying Abroad craziness! Til neste tid...

Ha det bra,

Jon

Charlie Brown in a popped collar.

So it's been awhile since I've updated you all on my Nordic life; I attribute this lack of motivation to the fact that I've been in the thick of finals, conclusion of classes and the like. So here's the update, finally.

The end of October holds special significance for those reared in the social and cultural milieu of American capitalist thought. Yes, I'm talking of that holiday where kids dress up in funny or scary costumes and patrol the streets asking strangers for candy. It's also that holiday where adults also dress up in funny or scary costumes and patrol the street asking for candy; well, "candy" in the sense of sacreligious merrymaking. HALLOWEEN. Here in Europe, this hallowed event doesn't hold much in the way of a significant holiday celebration. It's seen as simply another party weekend where if you dress up you are really into it and if not then

you're fine. But being the American transplants here in Oslo we took it upon ourselves to show them how it's done: we hosted a vorspiel before the International Student Union's Halloween party at Amatøren, which was nice as this was right in our studentby. People came dressed in all kinds of great costumes. There was a Bride of Chucky, Frida Kahlo, an olympic skier from Lillehammer '94, a Joker, Sharon Osbourne, and yours truly as Charlie Brown complete with a Peppermint Patty partner-in-crime. The Vors was great and the party was even better as the pub was packed like a can of mackerel. As the music forced the hands to pound in the air, the beer flowed causing the costumes and the levels of inebriation to get even better. All in all, it was great fun and Halloween was given her due.

Last friday, the flat right below my own hosted an American-themed party, called "America...*%@$# Yeah!". Come as an American pop icon or your idea of America. Since I am American I figured I didn't need to do much (also because I didn't have money to spend on a costume). So I pulled on a polo, popped the collar, and was good as any to go to an "American" house party. Ben, Ulla, Laur and I decided to pre-funk in our flat and practice a bit for the beer pong gauntlet that was to go down. As a nice warm-up we ventured down the long half-flight of stairs to the party venue. It was a loud mess; the kitchen was 

packed, the coat room was filled with drunk girls and guys, the line for the bathroom was as long as the hallway and the beer pong room was adequately drenched in lagered partying: just like American house parties!!! It was fun :D It was the biggest flat party I've been to in Sogn and it was a blast. Our flat, undeniably called "Flat 21: The KILLERS", won two games in a row. As we wiped the table clean of our hostesses cups, we rejoiced in the unbreakable bond of flatmate comraderie. America....#@$% JA! 

Til neste tid, ha det bra!

In a word: Køpenhavn.

My time here in Oslo has been one fabulous ride so far. I've learned a lot about Norwegian culture simply by being here and immersing into it. I thought that this theme of cognizance of a distinct "Scandinavian" culture would be the operating one for this post. A week ago a bunch of friends and I took a little trip to our Nordic neighbor south of the fjordic waters and went to a nice spot called Køpenhavn, or as we say in English, Copenhagen. All I knew about Køpenhavn was that it is the capital of Denmark and that Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland make up the Nordic region. So I assumed that there would be some semblance of cultural continuity between them(or at least something similar to my experience with Oslo). But it is true what they say about European capitals: each has their own flavor, feel, and charm. Køpenhavn is no different. It is definitely one of those older cities with beautiful buildings that echo a long history of monarchic rule and still manages to incorporate various amenities of its modern existence as a major metropolis. But the history lesson can be saved for PBS; we will move on the fun we had :) We left Oslo at 10pm on Thursday and took an overnight bus there. As painful as it sounds I can assure you it felt about as bad: it was not a pleasant ride. However, we did make several stops in Sweden which is absolutely breathtaking. We arrived at Køpenhavn where we were dropped off at this random stop downtown and made our way drudgingly and tired to the Sleep-In Green hostel aided by our one map. We got there but were told that we could not be shown our beds until 4pm that afternoon. So we set off to see the city. After our much needed coffee, we went to the Universitet Køpenhavn Library. This is what all libraries should be like; old, rosewood tables, rows and rows of books, and even those tall rolling ladders for high literary access. We took more scenic tours around the city and saw many more buildings. If it sounds like I am being vague in my description it is because I am doing it on purpose; I do not really remember (or knew) what 

most of the places we went to were called but take my word it was all very stunning ;) The things I do remember were the Rosenborg Palace, the Winter Palace, a big cathedral where we climbed to the top and saw all of the city, the famous cemetery (where we saw the graves of Søren Kirkegaard and Hans Christian Andersen), the Statens Museet for Kunst (the State Museum for Art: my FAVORITE sight; the sculpture to the left is "Samson"), and the Little Mermaid 

Statue by the harbor. Good memory huh?

All this walking and of course, I let my mind wander and make the observations that pervade my life. The one thing I noticed was the salience of an obvious bicycle culture. It is very similar to the image of bike-ridden Amsterdam with a kind of that old, european capital, very Parisian-like rankness. However, infused with a upbeat, cosmopolitan, London-esque underpinning. It was all very amalgamated in my mind and I was just mesmerized by the whizz and whirl of the passing bikes. Oh, and the very attractive people on them! Boy, are there lookers in Køpenhavn! 

Of course no trip involving bright, young, college stars is complete without the obligatory nightlife. The first night we were there we went to a Chinese restaurant where the food was kind of iffy. Then we completed the night at a bar called The Vikings Pub. It was a student pub that had the cheapest alcohol we had ever laid our poor, Norwegian price-traumatized eyes on. So we went in and enjoyed the night. The next day was filled with more sight-seeing and walking. After we went to the cemetery, we thought it would be a nice 

idea to have a picnic in

 the park nearby. So we went to the grocery store and bought some bread, cheese, meat, apples and wine and popped squats in a wonderful Danish public park. The life of a true European is rife with wine and cheese park afternoons, I am sure ;) After more sightseeing, we headed back to take a break for that night. We started the night by going to Christiania, the self-proclaimed hippie commune slash alternative lifestyle neighborhood. We had some Mexican food (complete with the Tequila Sunrises and Margaritas) and went to this hole in the wall bar where live music was being played. It was awesome. You remember that scene in Rent where they all break out in song in the bar and sing "La vie Boheme"? If my life was a musical, that would be where that scene was recreated. 

It was such a non-mainstream, indie-rock, alternative space and atmoshere. I loved it! After that we went to a club called Vertigo where we finished the night. The drinks were cheap and the music was good so of course I pulled the peeps I was with out onto the dancefloor. It was funny that not many people were dancing...(I am sure it is because they saw our bitchin talent and felt intimidated). They were some crazy characters and lots of laughs but we called it a night after a couple liters of dancesweat and a couple liters of mixers. The ride home was...well, I cannot really tell you much, seeing as I slept the entire way back! Arriving in our lovely Oslo, we had a nice bookend meal of falafel og pita and went to our warm beds. 

If there is one thing I found on this little stint in Danmark, it is that while one city can have a whole history of similarity with a whole other region, something still makes it unique. Danish and Norwegian are similar languages (although I think Danish sounds like a hybrid between Norwegian, Dutch and German) and yet it was hard to understand it. One thing is for sure, the city of Køpenhavn is definitely one that you should put on your list of cities to visit for that next vacation in Europe. You know, where the History is. ;)

 

Until next time, ha det bra!

Genderfucking and Futbol Make for a Memorable Weekend.

Hello friends! It has been awhile since I last posted and for this, I apologize. My last post was all about the my first class jitters which, have to a certain extent transformed into class angst, you could say. I have been steeped in the recesses of gender equality policy literature, learning the noble language of the Vikings (Jeg kan snakker litt norsk nå!), and becoming acquainted with the ironic tendencies of the Norwegian playwright, Ibsen. To be honest, I have been reading for classes and doing the day to day activities typical of a university student on a budget. But for this post, I write about two events that I feel are particularly blog-worthy: my flirtation with genderfucking and my first futbol match. 

My friend, Sigrid, had the awesome idea of throwing a moving-in party at her flat in Sogn. It was, very appropriately, a themed party with the context of the neurotic Quentin Tarantino filmography as our backdrop. I saw this party as a perfect opportunity to play a little dress up and play a little with the gender categories in the minds of my fellow party-goers. Considering my assets and physical attributes, I decided on going as Gogo Yubari, Nihonjin femme fatale and cute bitch to boot. Our group decided to go thrift shopping for the necessary garb and we traveled to Grunerløkka to walk down the thrift-store ridden Markveien. The store that I found the skirt in was run by this (what I found) very attractive middle-aged gentleman of about 35. When I told him that I was going as a Japanese school girl, he laughed and smiled rather sparkly. Inside the prøverom (fitting room), I asked Lauren if it looked good and he made a comment, "Now dont let those boys take advantage of you...". I smiled at him, gave him the money and said, "Oh, I will try not to... although it might be hard".  :)

Having that gorgeous plaid prairie skirt and red tie to be used as a my satin school girl blouse ribbon, we headed home to start preparing for later on that night. At the party, various Tarantino-esque thematic elements were in full swing in both costume and decor. The walls of the flat were festooned with snapshots of Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Jackie Brown. There was even a mini theater with a

 projected movie watching experience in

which to enjoy the Tarantino cinematic legacy. 

Walking into the flat with my outfit on was exhilarating. After the initial cordials of introductions and home countries, the eyes traveled down my torso to my bare legs fashioned in plaid. The eyes of many correlated to their shifts in disposition to ones of confusion. I made my rounds to and fro and was complimented many times on such a brave and awesome outfit. I felt like a true participant in the unvinersal scheme of theme-party going. At the end of the night I came to this conclusion: genderfucking as a Japanese school-girl assasin is a must for anyone regardless.

In our flat, we have a jocular Frenchman who, like many Euro men, love the epic game of futbol. There was a game of similar epic proportions happening (the two teams of Oslo, Vålerenga and Lyn) and he invited Lauren and I to join him. This was my first experience to spectate an authentic European futbol match and did not hesitate in going. It was in a word: scintillating :)

The match took place at our neighborhood Ullevål Stadion and we joined the throngs of dedicated Norwegian fans in the queue. Already outside, crowd cheers for Vålerenga (our team!) erupted in unison. Once inside, the mural of red and blue created an atmosphere of utter ecstasy, something I likened to the social solidarity that Durkheim alluded to in his sociology. The match itself was amazing; I oohed and ahhed at the athletic prowess of both teams, the missed shots on goal, the successful goals and of course, upsettingly growled at the calls against our team. There was one facet I found peculiar: we were to be quiet during the first fifteen minutes of play as this was a show of the foolishness of non participation in crowd cheering. At one point, we were even "shhhshed" by the guy next to us! When the 15 minutes were up, the crowd exploded in riotous cheers, chants and Viking-like antics. Adrenaline was the operating word in this case. We lost but it was valiant effort of our boys that I relished watching. One thing is certain; the culture that is European futbol is one that is fascinating to watch and be a part of. It was an out of body experience that I will never forget.

Until next time, ha det bra!

- Jon 

First Class Jitters, Culture, and Coffee. Oh, and Alcohol!

I finally had my first class! Walking in was interesting; I'm used to entering a room where I knew at least a few people and it was odd to encounter various other international students, some speaking in their first languages, other speaking in English. Seminars here at the UiO are highly similar to the ones at SU: small, intimate settings, closely quartered desks, over-head projectors and technologically hapless professors. My prof. for Norwegian World Lit. is an adorable intellectual who reads from a written lecture outline and has the neurotic habit of looking at the ceiling when he chooses to make emphasis. Although, it was slightly frustrating that he didn't look at the class during his lecture but it was cute in a nervous, entrenched teaching habit kind of way. 

After, I had some time so I went to the National Gallery downtown. This was the first museum I had been to in my close to 1 month stay here in Oslo. I know, the fact that I've been here that long and hadn't visited a single museum is unbelievably atrocious! Nevertheless, I went. It is a beautiful gallery with Nordic and international art as well as an Edvard Munch permanent collection. I perused the breathtaking pieces of scenery, still life, family life an

d Nordic society. This was also the gallery where the famous Munch "Scream" is located. Not to be judgmental, but I thought it was overrated; it was a very nice painting but I liked others a lot more. One in particular caught my attention: also by Munch, it is a painting called "The Kiss". It is an image of a man ravishingly kissing another person (I couldn't make out if it was a woman or man but I like to think it was the latter :P) behind a curtain in a room overlooking the city streets. The pair were isolated in rapture while the rest of society carried on obliviously. I sat and looked at it and got a little sentimental as I always do when I view art in galleries. 

While I love painting, I must say that I love sculpture even more. The gallery had many lovely sculptures placed all over but I particularly enjoyed two specific ones. They were pieces by Auguste Rodin, the famous "Thinker" and "Danaide". Both were so exquistely crafted, their bodies chiseled with life and vitality. I panned around in 360 degree fashion and admired. The other sculptures were large and some were small but they were all daunting in their realism and presence. The bodies of the athletes and women were so refreshing to see as they did not laud the anorexic ideal of today but instead celebrated the lush youthfulness of health. It was an experience that I consider a highlight of my first month in Oslo. After the gallery, I visited my friends at United Bakeries in Majorstuen yet again, had my usual black coffee and soaked in the Oslo sun and people watched from my favorite table outside.

These past few days I've been going out again, drinking with my flatmates. Frazer, a flatmate from Canada, is actually leaving Oslo to return home, and thus is vacating our flat. It has been sort of a series of farewell festivities. Friday, we went to Frazer's friends apartment in Majorstuen, went to Hogan's (a Cheers-esque sports bar) which we eventually left because the music wasn't as bumping. So we tried two other places downtown but failed as I was rejected for being so adorably underage. We concluded the evening with dancing at

Stravinsky's. Last night, we had a nice little flat dinner; it was deliciously prepared salmon, sauteed vegetables, white rice, homemade spring rolls, all compliments to Ben, Frazer, Christina and Lara. As if I wasn't too concerned with my wieght, we feasted on delicious homemade crepes that Ben made and was hard at work at the stove. Then people started coming over and the party took off from there :) It was a nice mix of people from all over and we chilled, danced to awesome music, and enjoyed the evening. It was the first in what Ben has termed "Saturday Night Fever", where last night was the first of many more to come. When in Oslo, I guess we party! 

I love this city.

Until my next blog-worthy adventure, ha det.

-Jon

All Asians love Cheap Asian Goods.

Cheap Asians love cheap Asian goods. Seeing as I am an Asian/PACIFIC ISLANDER living in Norway on a budget, this stereotype might hold some validity. Point is, I found the cheap Asian supermarket! Monday, Sigrid and Endre took our buddy group to Gronland in the eastern part of Downtown Oslo (I believe) where we went to two Vietnamese produce and all-around goods stores. It was glorious seeing food prices that I thought were actually affordable! I went there again the next day and completed my grocery order. I think I found where I'll be going at least once a week...

After I shopped there again on Tuesday, I went to Majorstuen again and headed to United Bakeries for the unlimited black coffee. Don't judge, you would too if you were here! It was a nice day so I sat outside with my CUPS of coffee, and read Ibsen's "A Doll's House". After, I went home and cooked myself up a delicious chow mein stir fry with eggplant, tomato, carrots and oyster sauce. Can you say yummers?! :)

This week is the start of classes and the students bustle about, doing the normal start of term formalities: going to class, meeting the professors, making good first impressions. I would tell you all how my first days steeped in Oslo academia are but, I HAVEN"T STARTED CLASSES YET! I know, I know, get over myself. But really, having this much free time is not as cool as I thought it would be. I'm completely convinced that I shouldn't spend anymore money so that rules out lots of things. I am, however, planning on traveling every single subway route there is; like a vagabond with a trust fund. I've been mainly getting a head start on reading books for class, walking around aimlessly, doing little errands and the like. It's boring and that makes me anxious. Not having a purpose is neither riveting nor exciting: it's disconcerting. Well, I guess the adrenaline needs to pump a little faster. Maybe there's a nice, disconcerted guy like me who enjoys listening to Madonna and the occasional retail therapy who needs some chatting up... We'll see, I suppose.

:)

Polse and Lomper: New Staples in my Oslo Diet.

This week was the official start to my stint as an international exchange student at the Universitet i Oslo. As such, the academic year would not have been complete without an Orientation! It came to an end this weekend but not without some crazy adventures!

Monday was a breezy day. The only thing we were scheduled to do was pick up information packets on campus. After I picked mine up amidst the craziness of the international student reception area, I proceeded outside and walked around campus. UiO is a beautiful campus with many areas outdoors to sit and relax, something that I did with much enjoyment. It was a pleasant first meeting with the locale that I would forge a special relationship with for the next 5 months. 

Tuesday was the Welcome Ceremony at the UiO Law School in Downtown Oslo at Karl Johans Gate. Both international and new students packed into the school square; so many anxious and excited faces that it was hard to listen to the rhythmic Norwegian speeches. UiO's very own acclaimed orchestra played various pieces including a Navras-esque piece that riveted me into a slight orgasm. After the ceremony we met our Buddy Groups; similar to SU's OA friends, these small groups functioned as a social mixer complete with two current UiO students who served as Buddies (they even wore red shirts!). My group's Buddies were Sigrid and Endre who are both really cool :) In my group,

there are several Americans, a Brit, an Aussie, an Italian, a Pole, a Canadian, and lots of Norwegians. A delish mix! After the ceremony, we went back to campus for a free meal (Orientation and free food go hand in hand, of course!) and a tour of campus. Later on that evening, we all met up again at the Faculty 

of Humanities' pub called Uglebo, had a few beers and got to know each other a little more. This was my first time consuming alcohol in Europe as well as purchasing legally outside of the U.S. (well, not counting Guam). It was in a word: fun. 

Wednesday was the Nuts and Bolts section of Orientation. It was a full day of being bombarded with information about visas, permits, semester fees, registration, faculty advisors, and IT. After my brain could not soak up anymore, we were set free. I took another trip to Ikea to get a lightbulb that I stupidly forgot to pick up when I bought a lamp on another trip. That was a feat of intellectual achievement, let me tell you...

Thursday was pretty much the same as Wednesday; we had meetings but this time it was in our respective faculties. Mine being in the humanities, we poured into the Sophus Bugges hus auditorium where we met the dean and other important figures. After, I took another Ikea trip, but this time it was to show three buddies, Devin, Erik and Agnes to the bus station as they had never been yet. Rushing so we could catch the bus from Slependen, we headed back to downtown and called it a day. 

Friday was cool; my buddy group got together on campus and played some lawn games. Well, it was mostly the guys playing futbol and frisbee and the girls playing croquet while the other slightly athletically challenged buddies like myself (by this I mean, professional audience members) sat, watched, and chatted. After some free fruit, lemon-flavored water and sunbathing, we split and a bunch of us went to Chateau Neuf for the International Coffee Hour. Arriving into a packed, humid, and unaccommodating space, our group left and had coffee down the street in pretty Majorstuen. We went to this cute place called United Bakeries, which reminded me a lot of Cafe Victrola on the Hill. It became my new favorite place after I paid for a delicious cup of black coffee (27 kroner; about $5.20) and discovered that it was unlimited refills. For reals: my new favorite place. After, we headed home and then met up again at Uglebo for some more post-week fun. 

Saturday and Sunday are one complete entity as the day's events are inextricably wound together. We started off with an Orientation event on Hoverdoya, the main island in the waters off the Oslo piers. It is a major park area with trails, beaches, huge tracts of lawn for

 buddy group hangout seshs and the like. It was once a prison island that also housed 

a medieval convent; the ruins to provide evidence for this were spectacular. And there we were, drinking beer, grilling polse (hotdogs) to eat with lomper (tortilla-like flatcakes made from potatoes), and merry-making amongst the ruins. I left early so I could meet my flatmates on the island's beach; I got lost and couldn't find them. So I decided to go home and take a nap. I got to the pier and got on the only ferry present thinking it would take me directly to the pier we had set out from. But no, I took a little ride. Apparently the ferry that I got on was the one going in the other direction toward the other end of the island. So there I was, ferrying in the Norwegian waters on a nice detour. It

was oddly riveting feeling lost on the water, no doubt adventurous like the Vikings who navigated the same waterways earlier. But I did get back safely. I had planned to join Agnes at a party in the evening so I went to meet her around 20:00 in Majorstuen. We went to her friend Frederikke's place, a beautiful apartment in Majorstuen, for the forsk (directly translated means foreplay) which is the Norwegian equivalent to our American pre-funks. The apt. was like a posh, Euro entertainment space. We entered the room (where we saw them watching MTV) and were introduced to everyone. After some arguing about the music, we put a playlist on and started a game of Tipsy cups. This of course, led to riotous laughter and comraderie which prompted a trip downtown to a bar. We went to this place called Biblos and had a few more pitchers. Dancing was fun. They actually have really good music to dance to here in Oslo. It was to a techno backbeat but very rhythmic, with reggae, Spanish, and lots of Hip-Hop/Pop. Dancing to Beyonce's "Get Me Bodied" was priceless. Having no sense of direction, awareness, or volition, we walked for about 30 minutes tipsily thru downtown Oslo where we adopted two other guys, both of whom I don't remember their names :) Getting back to Frederikke's at around 5 am, peopled crashed, others drank more, and I sat on the sofa to inhale my water. Seeing as the sun was up and the party was entering its "post" stage, I went to the T-Bane to wait for the first subway of the day. '

To reflect, my time in Oslo thus far has been breathtaking. If this past week's events are any indication of the time that I'm going to have here, I'm in for an adventure of a lifetime :) As my escapades continue, I will continue to update. 

Until the keyboard calls again,

Your friend, Jon